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Abstract
Objective Guided internet-based intervention beyond hearing aid (HA) fitting has been shown to be efficacious in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, internet interventions have rarely been applied clinically as a part of regular aural rehabilitation (AR). Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of internet-based AR for HA users from a clinical population.
Outcome measures The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) was used as the primary outcome measure, and the Communication Strategies Scale (CSS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used as secondary outcome measures. All questionnaires were administered before and directly after the intervention and at 6 months postintervention.
Methods We used a parallel group design (RCT). The data were collected in 2013–2014 at three different clinics. Seventy-four HA users were randomly assigned to receive either full internet-based AR (intervention group, n=37) or one element of the internet-based AR (control group, n=37).
Results Data were analysed following the intention-to-treat principle. Each group showed improved HHIE scores over time and did not differ significantly from each other. The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement compared with the control group for the CSS total and the non-verbal subscale scores. The intervention group and control group were also subdivided into two age groups: 20–59 years and 60–80 years. Significantly better improvement on the CSS total and non-verbal subscale scores was found in the older group compared with the younger participants.
Conclusions This study indicates that participants in an internet-based intervention applied in general clinical practice showed improved self-reported communication skills compared with a control group. Receiving a full intervention was not more effective in improving self-reported hearing problems than receiving just one element of the internet-based intervention.
Trial registration number This trial is registered at ClinicalTrals.gov, NCT01837550; results.
- audiology
- aural rehabilitation
- internet
- clinical practice
- hearing loss
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Footnotes
Contributors GA, TL and MM contributed to the conception and design of the study, and to the acquisition of data for the study. MM contributed to data collection and analysed the data. GA, TL, MM and KK contributed to the analysis of data and participated in interpretation of data for the study, in drafting the study and revising it critically for important intellectual content, and in giving final approval of the version to be published. GA, TL and KK provided continuous supervision during the entire study.
Funding This work was sponsored by the Stinger Foundation; Oticon Foundation; Habilitation and Health, Region Västra Götaland, Research and Technology Development; and in part by a programme grant from the Swedish Council for Wealth, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE, 2009-0055).
Competing interests None declared.
Ethics approval The regional ethical review board in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.